"Captain! Captain Shaltia!"

In the royal palace's royal guard barracks, it was half an hour before departure. The vice-captain, Yor, called out to Captain Shaltia, who was conducting final checks in preparation for the afternoon's journey.

"What is it? I'm busy here..."

Normally, Shaltia would listen to whatever was being said, but this time felt different.

"I understand that this is not the time for chitchat," Yor replied with a serious expression. He was a laid-back man who had risen from a common background. His face was unremarkable, and he was evaluated as average in terms of combat strength—neither particularly strong nor weak. However, Shaltia held him in high regard.

Three years ago, Yor had defended a nearby village alongside his comrades from a monster attack. At that time, Yor was just a soldier in the royal guard. When the vice-captain fell, Yor temporarily took over his duties. Together with a handful of knights and the villagers, they fought tirelessly for three days until Shaltia and her team arrived.

While there were injuries, there were no fatalities. To honor his contributions, Shaltia appointed Yor as the vice-captain.

This time, they were scheduled to conduct an inspection of nearby villages alongside the second prince, Leon. The journey was expected to last about four days, with plans to stay overnight in Rusona Village. They had already sent a messenger ahead, and supplies for camping along the way were being prepared. Since the second prince would be participating, they had to be thoroughly prepared for any unexpected situations.

"Then I suppose we can talk when we return," Shaltia said.

"No, I really need you to hear this," Yor insisted, which was unusual for him to press so much.

"What is it? Is someone coming?"

Shaltia glared over Yor’s shoulder.

"Oh dear, how dare you refer to the Prime Minister of this country in such a manner… Captain Shaltia of the royal guard, it seems your tongue is quite sharp."

"Well, if it isn’t Prime Minister Zaig."

Shaltia bowed her head to the small man before her. He wore a flamboyant outfit adorned with large gemstones, a gold necklace, and a gaudy cape. Surrounding him were men who seemed to be his entourage.

Zaig was the Prime Minister of this country—unfortunately.

"Ah, royal guard members!"

His harsh, grating voice echoed unpleasantly. Yor grimaced, but Shaltia maintained a poker face and gave a light nod.

"Are you heading out today?"

Yor nearly shouted, "What gall!" at Zaig. This man had a habit of delaying the arrival of necessary supplies for the royal guard, mixing in faulty equipment, and obstructing the procurement of food supplies for the dining hall. Although these nuisances were minor enough to ignore for now, Yor was probing for a chance to catch him off guard, but this man was elusive.

"Yes, we're going for an inspection of the surrounding area for a few days..."

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Shaltia answered evasively.

"Is it just the royal guard?"

Zaig’s eyes roamed over Shaltia’s body, looking her up and down. Although she couldn't possibly be unaware of his gaze, she replied in an even tone without changing her expression, "It will be just us conducting the investigation."

"Isn't that a bit excessive?"

Finally looking away from Shaltia, Zaig gazed openly at the preparations of the royal guard. Noticing his gaze, the members of the guard grimaced and openly displayed their disgust.

"Oh? Is that a tent over there? And it seems you have some furniture as well..."

Zaig approached the loaded supplies with a sinister grin.

"Lord Zaig!"

In that instant, Shaltia sharply called out and stepped in front of Zaig, her cold gaze fixed on him.

"Prime Minister... this is as far as you go..."

Even the men in Zaig's entourage seemed to sense the gravity of the situation and cautiously spoke up. However, the royal guards surrounding them all drew their swords, glaring at the intruders with open hostility and wariness. The air around them grew increasingly tense, filled with a palpable pressure that made it hard to breathe. Despite this, Zaig maintained a smug smile, while his entourage began to sweat nervously under the mounting tension.

"I am merely checking to ensure there are no deficiencies in the supplies for the royal guard," Zaig insisted, stepping forward once more.

But Yor reacted immediately, stepping in front of Zaig.

"Even for the Prime Minister, further probing could hinder the operations of the royal guard. Please understand."

Yor quickly placed himself in front of Zaig, blocking his gaze and bowing slightly. Despite being from a common background, he held a significant position within the royal guard. However, Zaig was aligned with the faction of the first prince. It was imperative that no further secrets were leaked.

"How dare a commoner stand before me!"

Zaig's face twisted in anger as he shoved Yor aside. Yor was caught off guard and fell to the floor. Zaig, being both a minister and a noble, was in a position where Yor could not dare to protest even if he were struck down.

Clang!

"Shall I take that remark as an insult to the royal guard?"

The sharp sound interrupted Zaig's voice as Shaltia's sword embedded itself deep into the stone pillar beside him. If it had been just a few millimeters off, Zaig would have been impaled. A bead of cold sweat dripped down Zaig's forehead.

The atmosphere was thick with silence and hostility.

"Yikes!"

Zaig stumbled backward, his eyes wide in fear as he looked up at Shaltia, realizing the gravity of his situation. He quickly flushed red and stood up.

"W-What do you think you’re doing?!"

"What do I… mean?"

Shaltia glared at Zaig with murderous intent.

"Y-You pointed a sword at me! This is a serious issue. I’ll file a complaint immediately!"

Zaig spat out his words in a furious outburst, but Shaltia simply met his anger with an icy stare, showing no sign of hiding her disdain.

"To insult the royal guard is tantamount to insulting the king, your lord. I trust you’re prepared for the consequences?"

At Shaltia’s cold words, Zaig's face drained of color. It was clear that the men surrounding him also paled in fear.

"A-Are you threatening me?"

Zaig shouted, spitting in anger, but Shaltia remained unfazed, her expression calm.

"Threatening?" Shaltia replied quietly.

"Yes!"

Zaig continued to scream, his face contorted in rage. Shaltia scoffed, pulling her sword from the stone pillar with ease.

"You are the Prime Minister, are you not? The final bastion meant to protect the king at all costs, and yet you tremble at this level of intimidation... Pathetic."

With those words, Zaig’s face turned crimson with rage. He could not hide the fury boiling within him, and in a trembling voice, he spat out,

"You’ll regret this!"

With heavy footsteps, Zaig glared at the royal guards as he stormed off. His followers hurriedly followed him.

"Lord Zaig, wait up!"

"Is it really okay to let him say that?" one anxious entourage member asked, but Zaig dismissed him with a furious shout.

"Enough! Be quiet!"

Pushing aside his followers, Zaig hurriedly left the scene. A suppressed chuckle escaped some of the royal guards.

"Seriously, he’s a complete fool."

Shaltia said, expressionless, as she sheathed her sword.

"Thank you, Captain Shaltia," Yor said respectfully.

"Just a minor nuisance making a fuss. Don’t let it bother you."

Yor looked at the calm Shaltia with envy. Her dignity, composure, and above all, her overwhelming confidence only strengthened Yor's loyalty to her.

"We've wasted enough time. Let’s hurry up with the preparations."

With a sharp command, Shaltia dismissed them. Yor immediately replied, "Understood," and departed.

(As expected, Captain Shaltia is amazing…!)

As Yor gave instructions to his subordinates, his loyalty to Shaltia grew even stronger.